Almost 300 passengers and crew of a Delta Airlines flight were stranded on a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, after the plane experienced mechanical problems and had to urgently divert.

According to Delta Air Lines, flight 127 had departed from Madrid on Sunday bound for the Airport New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) when the Airbus A330 detected a mechanical failure in one of its engines. The plane was carrying 282 passengers and 13 crew members. Faced with the situation, the pilots made the decision to make a precautionary landing at Lajes Air Base, located on Terceira Island, part of the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The base has facilities prepared to receive transoceanic flights in case of emergency, given its strategic location in the middle of the Atlantic. Delta detailed in a statement that the plane "landed without problems" and that, once on the ground, the passengers disembarked using portable stairs. The company coordinated local hotel accommodations for travelers and crew, as well as providing meals while a new flight was organized.

"The flight was diverted to Lajes, Azores (TER), after a mechanical issue with an engine was reported. Customers and crew deplane safely and were accommodated overnight in local hotels. Meals were provided while they awaited their onward travel," Delta explained.

The following day, Monday, a replacement plane was sent to Terceira to pick up passengers and continue their journey to New York.

Delta, for its part, issued a formal apology: "We sincerely apologize to our customers for their experience and the delay in their travels. The safety of our passengers and crew is always our top priority."

Finally, after spending the night on the island, passengers were able to resume their route on Monday afternoon. Many shared images of their forced stay in the Azores on social media, which some described as “an unexpected setback, but in a beautiful place.”